一日一成语【73】bite off more than one can chew

bite off more than one can chew

我们不论吃什么东西都只能一口一口地吃，一点一点地嚼。一个人嘴巴的容量是有限的，再好吃的东西，你再喜欢吃，你也只能咬一口，吃一口。如果贪多贪快，一下咬下一大口，那就会产生贪我嚼不烂的现象，吃不下去，即使吃下去了，也消化不了。这便是bite off more than one can chew的字面意义。它固然可以用来指吃东西时出现的这种现象，但更多的却用以比喻一个人好高骛远，过高地估计自己的能力这种情况：

He bit off more than he could chew when he undertook to do all the organizing by himself.
他独自承担全部组织工作，他对自己的能力估计过高了。

He thought his English was good enough to translate that short story, but soon after he began, he found he had bitten off more than he could chew.
他以为自己的英语水平中以翻译那个短篇小说，但动笔不久，便发现对自己的估计错误了。

You want to learn English, French, and German all at once? Young man, you will bite off more than you can chew.
你想同时学英、法、德三种语言？年轻人，你那样做可是太好高骛远了。